289
Written Answers
17 DECEMBER 1982
Written Answers
856 have been resettled in the United Kingdom, and 5 including two who were born there are still in Hong Kong.
Sir Patrick Wall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the future of the boat people rescued by SS "City of Edinburgh" and SS "Po Yang".
Mr. Rifkind: Eight of the 34 people rescued by the "City of Edinburgh" have been resettled in the United States of America. The remainder are expected in due course to be received in the United Kingdom. Eighteen of the 42 boat people rescued by the "Po Yang" have been resettled in the United States of America, Canada and Australia. We are still considerng resettlement of the remainder.
Sir Patrick Wall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will approach the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and request him to speed up the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees now in Hong Kong.
Mr. Rifkind: We shall continue to take every suitable opportunity to draw the attention both of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and of countries of possible resettlement to the numbers of refugees remaining in Hong Kong. For example, our permanent representative in Geneva made an urgent appeal on 12 October in his statement to this year's meeting of the executive committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Sir Patrick Wall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what facilities for voluntary education or training exist in the closed refugee camps in Hong Kong.
Mr. Rifkind: English, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, mathematics and art classes are available for children and young adults in the Chimawan closed centre. English, French and Chinese classes are also held in the Hei Ling Chau closed centre.
Sir Patrick Wall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Vietnamese refugees now in Hong Kong are in open or closed camps, respectively.
Mr. Rifkind: On 15 December there were 9,013 Vietnamese refugees in open centres and 3,679 in closed centres in Hong Kong.
Falkland Islands
Mr. Faulds asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why certain material on the Falkland Islands in the Public Record Office was closed to bona fide researchers after the invasion for a longer period than 30 years.
Mr. Onslow: No material in the Public Record Office on the Falkland Islands has been closed since the invasion for a longer period than 30 years.
149
DATE !... 12.82
COL.
VOL...
289
зв
ENERGY
290
FIKK 243/2
Management Information System
Mr. Eggar asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish his Department's management information system.
Mr. Mellor: I have today placed in the Libraryfof the House a note about the Department of Energy's management information system.
Standing Charges
Mr. Alfred Morris asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether, pursuant to his answer of 10 December, Official Report, c. 652, he will set out the practical difficulties which prevent the reports of the consultants who are examining standing charges being expedited in order for him to be able to make a statement on the response of the electricity and gas supply industries before the Christmas adjournment;
(2) pursuant to the reply of 6 December, if he will express the cost to the electricity supply and gas industries of limiting standing charges in domestic bills to a maximum of 50 per cent. of any bill in approximate cash terms; and if, in the case of the electricity supply industry, such a limit would prejudice the ability of the industry to maintain its average level of prices for the next
year. Mr. Mellor: I shall answer the right hon. Member as soon as possible.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Attendance Allowance Unit, Blackpool
Mr. Cyril Smith asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied that his Department's attendance allowance unit, Blackpool, is functioning satisfactorily.
Mr. Rossi: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 26 July 1982.-[Vol. 28, c. 81-82].
Mr. Cyril Smith asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in the last year, how many applications for attendance allowance made to his Department's Blackpool attendance allowance unit have been (a) made, (b) declined on first application and (c) allowed on appeal.
Mr. Rossi: The available information for 1981, as follows, relates not to date of claim but to date of decision. The information at (c) relates to reviews on grounds of dissatisfaction with the original rejection. Such reviews are the equivalent of appeals for this benefit.
a. 181,974 (initial and renewal claims) b. 43,583
c. 4,733
Supplementary Benefit
Mr. Alton asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why disabled unemployed ex-Servicemen are not entitled to full supplementary benefit when they are simultaneously receiving a war pension due to the disability that they have suffered.
Mr. Rossi: Supplementary benefit is a means-tested benefit designed to provide support for people who are without resources or whose resources are insufficient to
(45